Sturgeon guard volunteer sign-up

We are in the process of revamping our online sign-up form. Please check back in early March.

Fishing Wisconsin Sturgeon guard volunteers

Each spring, hundreds of volunteers have an opportunity to guard sturgeon at their spawning sites on the Wolf River and protect the fish from poaching. When the sturgeon are spawning along the rocky shoreline of the Wolf River, they are fairly oblivious to nearby human activity and are very susceptible to illegal harvest.

Sturgeon guards are necessary to protect these historic fish during their spawning season.

The volunteers of the “Sturgeon Patrol” guard the spawning fish 24 hours a day throughout the spawning season, which is typically in late April and early May.

While it is impossible to predict the exact dates that spawning will occur each year, guards are routinely scheduled from April 15 through May 5. Spawning generally occurs over a seven to 10-day period within that time window. While we do our best to get all scheduled guards out on the riverbank to see fish, invariably we must cancel some scheduled shifts if the fish are simply not active. We try in those cases to reschedule guards into an active period.

How to be a sturgeon guard volunteer

Come join the fun! Make volunteering a family outing by bringing a son or daughter your spouse or a friend. For many being a sturgeon guard volunteer has become an annual tradition.

We are in the process of revamping our online sign-up form. Please check back in early March.